Taura Mizrahi at LA's Largest Mixer

Last week I attended the L.A.’s Largest Mixer event at the Shrine Auditorium.  It proved to be a very productive event.  I talked with various businesses about ways we could work together.  To read more about the importance of networking check out my two most recent Examiner articles, “Writers get out there! Networking ideas for writers in Los Angeles”, and “Building your business through your chamber of commerce”.

It was a fun event with over 225 exhibitors and 2500 attendees.  Booths lined both levels of the auditorium and streams of people wove through them.  There was also a bar and some of the exhibitors were giving out samples of food.  Unfortunately, I was not able to sample any of it as I was in the middle of a three-week cleanse (but that’s another story).  Exhibitors ranged from dog trainers to legal advice and everything in between.  There was also a good showing of various business groups and chambers of commerce.

Aside from the business networking, I also ran into some friends at the show.  It was great to see my old friend Melissa Sanders who had a booth to represent her company, Essential Chocolate Desserts.  While I wasn’t able to sample any of her delectables at the mixer (that damn cleanse!), I can say from her experience that her flourless chocolate cake is to die for (and perfect for us gluten-free peeps)!  The girls all enjoyed this one at my bachelorette party (I’ll spare you the other gory details from that night).

It was great to see Cory Newman from DJ Party Pros (he was the dj at our wedding and had people on the dance floor all night long).  He was there with his networking group, TEAM Referral Network.  They have chapters all over town and I think I’m going to check out my local Beverly Hills meeting.

Stasi at the Rovia booth

I also got to hang with my friends from Rovia who had a booth to promote incredible vacations at bargain prices.  Stasi Hartwick from Epitome Salon was there helping people learn how they can take dream vacations.  To check out some of the vacations (there are over 350 this year), visit my site at www.MizfitTravel.worldventuresdreamtrips.com and if you are looking to save money on the next trip you book become a preferred customer on my travel site at www.MizfitTravel.rovia.com. We used Rovia to book the honeymoon and saved a ton!

On a side note, I know that I mentioned the wedding, the honeymoon, and the bachelorette party, and I promise you that I will blog about all of it.  We just got our photo proofs from our photographer, Robert Evans, and are so excited to share them.  Once we have finished sorting through all 800 (yes, 800!), I’ll put some up here.  He captured some really beautiful moments.  Thank you, Robert!

A couple of weeks ago we ventured out to Hollywood Park, with famed wedding photographer, Robert Evans, for a few pics of us frolicking among the ponies at one of our favorite spots.

Love at Hollywood Park

Robert was great to work with. He made us feel so comfortable. I’ve heard so many horror stories about wedding photographers that picking the right one seemed a daunting task. We sure lucked out with Robert. His credentials speak for themselves (he shot Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s wedding as well as Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ wedding). Frankly, I was hesitant to call him. I thought it was such a long shot and would be way out of our budget, but Robert proved me wrong. He is so friendly and put together a package that worked for us.

It was important for us to have great wedding photos as they will be the one reminder of our day that will last forever. We can’t wait for the wedding. And, after the beautiful photos Robert took at our engagement shoot, we are so excited to see the masterpieces he’ll produce on our big day. Take a look and I think you’ll agree that Robert Evans is more than a wedding photographer; he’s an artist.

(Click on the photos to see them enlarged)

The Runaway Bride

To see more of Robert Evans’ work visit www.robertevans.com.

For more information, including student bios, samples, and a performance schedule, please visit www.gi-tahr.com.

I was expecting a sea of pink meringue and got just about that.  DJ’s pumping music, girls trying on dresses, roses dyed blue (yes, blue!), hair pieces, liposuction offers, honeymoon travel vendors, and there was even a cosmetic surgery center giving out stress balls shaped like a breast (I grabbed one of those for my groom).

The piece de resistance for the afternoon was the cake dive–three girls diving into a cake in search of a diamond necklace.  Those girls took down not only the cake, but also the table it was on.  It was on the verge of getting really ugly when one lucky, soon-to-be bride yelped her victory cry and the crowd erupted in a loud squeal.

In the end, I’m glad we went.  I did accomplish a few things–got registered, found info on tux rentals, and got to see some of the NFL playoffs in the Direct TV area set up for the grooms-to-be (why do the guys always get the good stuff?). Stay tuned for more to come!